CA-125 is primarily used to monitor therapy during treatment for ovarian cancer. CA-125 is also used to detect whether cancer has come back after treatment is complete. A series of CA-125 tests that shows rising or falling concentrations is often more useful than a single result. CA-125 is sometimes used to test and monitor high-risk women who have a family history of ovarian cancer but who do not yet have the disease. The test is not used, however, to screen women for ovarian cancer because it is non-specific. In some cases, a CA-125 is done in woman with a pelvic mass in order to help determine the cause. A transvaginal ultrasound may be done along with this If CA-125 levels fall during therapy, this generally indicates that the cancer is responding to treatment. If CA-125 levels rise or stay the same, then the cancer may not be responding to therapy. High CA-125 levels after treatment is complete may indicate that the cancer has come back. If a woman who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer has a baseline CA-125 level that is normal, then the test is not likely to be useful to monitor her ovarian cancer. In this case, the ovarian cancer may not be producing CA-125 and is not a good marker of disease progression. In a woman with a pelvic mass, and in a woman with a high risk for developing ovarian cancer, a significantly elevated CA-125 is a concern but does not necessarily indicate ovarian cancer. This finding would prompt further testing and evaluation. Because CA-125 can be high in many normal or benign conditions, such as pregnancy, menstruation, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease, it is not useful or recommended as a screening test for the general population.